River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-11-03
ASTONISHING MODESTY.
A Dakota Man Who Was Sadly i'm Need O
Self Confidence.

"A Dakota Man VINO w as Sadly IN Need oil
SeIf-COnfidenee.
notice that old BIB Burgess. of
Fargo. has in some way got himself
interviewed in a local paper, and
says: Il have never made the success
in the world that many men have,
owing to my want Of confidence in my
self and natural reserve. "
Mr.. Burgess is right; his dif1idence
and shrinking modesty have all along
rather held him down.
Whom he first began business in
Dakota he set up as a lawyer and loan
agent. His natural reserve caus d
him TO charge five per cent. month
interest and foreclosure mortgages be-
fore they were due, and vigilence
committee chased him across the
county line on run.
Then his mt of confidence in him.
self began to show itself. Ii went to
soliciting fire insurance his shyness
kept him from every thing else
and he didn't succeed very well even
in this eminently quiet and retired
pursuit He got dropped out of several
high buildings, kicked over into the
latter part of several weeks hence, and
never knew when he'd have to jump
fence and kick out back at a dog aud
scatter blank applications and little
lin house-signs all over the yard. He
gave up insurance and entered on the
subdued life of lightning-rod agent.
He got along better with this more
suited to his modest and quiet tastes.
He would drive up to a farmers house
when he was away from home and put
lightning-rods all over the house and
barn, and constable and smoke
house. and hay-barn and chicken-coop.
and well-house. He would put 'em on
thick, too. When the frightened
farmer drove into the yard he would
think his buildings looked like porcu-
pines.
Bob said he was a scientist and that
he had noticed that the lightning was
different than it used to be, and that
it would sneak down 10 the roof un-
less the points were mighty thick. He
claimed after he got n building prop
crly covered with his rods that a thun-
der-cloud would look over the brow of
the hill and then 90 away off around
by way of the creek and the red
school-house road II said that he
had seen lightning strike at his house
and then howl like a pig under the
gate aud 20 off across the pasture end
over end, tearing up the soil like boy
after angle-worms. He was always
going to get balloon some day and
take one of his lightning rods and go
up among the clouds aud make the
electricity beg for mercy.
When the farmey got home and saw
his buildings all bristled he would
sometimes begin to swear. But old
Bob nearly always bulldozed him into
paying. Ii the man wouldn't pay he
would have him arrested for obtaining
advantageous under false pretenses.
Il didn't do any good to leave dog at
home to protect the house; he would
stab the dog and run rod up over its
dead body. Ole day he heard a man
say h. was going to build house on
some land he owned. and he went and
stuck up half a dozea rods on il with
the same crooks they would have had
in them if they hal been on buildings
He male the man paw for theri, toe
ne told him he could pat his buildings
up around under the rods
Bat he found the business toe much